Brisbane to be transformed into Olympic powerhouse by 2032 after winning Games
The Queensland capital has officially been named the hosts of the 2032 Olympic Games. Take a look at what happened as Brisbane won the vote and the state celebrated.
Brisbane has won the 2032 Olympic Games with a landslide victory.
International Olympic Committee members, wowed by Australia’s reliability unity and natural beauty, have awarded the greatest sporting show on earth to the Queensland capital in 11 years.
IOC president Thomas Bach’s announcement on Wednesday night at the Okura Hotel, where more than 80 members are meeting, will transform Brisbane from an emerging global city into an Olympic powerhouse.
In a watershed moment, Brisbane’s six years of meticulous planning culminated in a secret ballot lasting no longer than half an hour.
Of the 80 members, three abstained and an overwhelming 72 voters agreed to give Queensland Australia’s third Olympics and second Paralympics Games.
Only five delegates voted against Brisbane.
The vote came after a slick and colourful 20-minute final presentation to the members, led by prime minister Scott Morrison in a video link from Canberra and the Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk who had flown to Tokyo especially to eyeball the IOC members.
Mr Bach made the announcement, building some tension, saying: “I have the honour to announce that the Games of the 35th Olympiad are awarded to Brisbane, Australia”.
The Brisbane 2032 delegation, seated in the front row, jumped from their seats in excitement and Mr Morrison, in Canberra, gave the camera a big thumbs up.
Being a simple yes or no vote, and with Mr Bach leading a tight ship, the press releases congratulating Brisbane on their triumph had already been prepared — with one from Tokyo 2020 even distributed under embargo an hour before the vote.
The victory was 35 years in the making for Australian Olympic Committee president and IOC vice president John Coates who immediately thanked the governments in Australia at all levels for the unprecedented co-operation, which brought the Queensland ambition to life, saying their unwavering support had seized this moment.
“Australians like to have a go. Six years ago, the Mayors of southeast Queensland did just that when they undertook a feasibility study into what the Games could mean for their region. With the support of the Queensland and Federal Governments that “have a go” moment has become an ambition realised,” he said.
“Of course, the starter’s gun has only just been fired and the real work now begins.”
Brisbane will become just the third Australian capital after Melbourne in 1956 and Sydney in 2000 – and the 24th global city – to host an Olympic Games.
The attention of the world will return to Brisbane in 2032 almost half-a-century to the day since the state-changing 1982 Commonwealth Games.
Sydney’s hugely successful games were still fresh in the minds of IOC members, who took comfort from Australia’s reputation for hosting global events.
Mr Coates told the members the Brisbane 2032 Olympics would be the “together games”, honouring the new Olympic motto of higher, stronger, faster – together.
He stressed a Brisbane Games “ will be an expression – unforgettable, enduring and revered Olympism – celebrated and served together”.
Before a stirring pitch, Mr Morrison was introduced with Mitch Tambo’s version of John Farnham’s You’re the Voice and drew upon Australia’s history with the Olympic Movement, stressing the country’s multicultural links.
Mr Morrison said the Olympic ethos and values of Australia already resonate, noting how “we are outward-looking people” and with “over 300 different ethnic backgrounds similar to a giant size Olympic village all together’’.
He drew upon two memories of the Sydney Olympic Games: Cathy Freeman’s 400m victory and Jane Saville’s disqualification in the walk.
There was some opposition to the pitch mainly because of annoyance about the new bid process which Brisbane – fast and furious out of the gate with a ute-load of fully costed master plans – was able to squash other interest from Hungary, Germany, South Korea, Qatar and Indonesia.
The IOC members, who love having an influential role in a country’s development, were impressed that the Brisbane Games would fast track a generation of road and rail infrastructure linking the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast in Queensland’s fast-growing region.
Crucially, Brisbane had provided financial guarantees from all tiers of government, including Canberra, although the official host city contract was to be last night signed by Ms Palaszczuk, the Lord Mayor of Brisbane Adrian Schrinner and Mr Coates.
Senator Richard Colbeck, who told the IOC that all levels of government were behind Brisbane 2032, including opposition parties, hailed “a green and gold decade in front of us now”.
“We have so many opportunities for our young athletes to see the world’s best on the world stage on Australian soil,” he said.
Ms Palaszczuk declared the decision would be “so great for our city, our region and our state’’.
“We’re a sports-loving state and this will give us our golden age in Queensland,” she said.
“Tonight is a victory for every single Queenslander.”
Mr Bach said that the overwhelming decision was ‘’also an exciting moment for the IOC” and was asked to identify the key pillar of Queensland’s bid which swayed the IOC to endorse the state.
“The passionate love of sport which the Aussies demonstrate – you could feel this through the whole presentation,” he said.
“And this is what it’s about, to see the sports-loving Aussies celebrating the Olympic Games. I hope I can still make it to them and be there.”
Senator Richard Colbeck, who told the IOC that all levels of government were behind Brisbane 2032, including opposition parties, hailed “a green and gold decade in front of us now”.
He added: “We have so many opportunities for our young athletes to see the world’s best on the world stage on Australian soil”.
Ms Palaszczuk excitedly said “its going to be so great for our city, our region and our state’’
Three times gold medallist and Australian IOC member James Tompkins, who is also on the athletes commission, said he had a tear in his eye during the presentation and was immediately aware that the other IOC members were hugely impressed.
An emotional Queensland Olympic Council President and Sydney 2000 gold medallist Natalie Cook said Brisbane would never be the same.
“It’s hard to put into words, after being involved in five Olympics myself and seeing cities transform, what this means for not only Brisbane but the nation,” she said.
“Like there are few athletes who become Olympians, even fewer cities become Olympic cities.
“It’s just mind-blowing and it’s the second-best thing to winning a gold medal.”
Cook, 46, said hosting the Olympic Games would be “way bigger” than her gold-medal performance on the sand in Sydney two decades ago.
“This is something that will permeate and infiltrate all corners of the state and the country,” she said.
“It will inspire people to be one step better than they were yesterday.”
Paralympics Australia President Jock O’Callaghan said Brisbane 2032 would reinforce how sport could demonstrate what people with a disability could achieve.
“Over the next decade, as we lead into Brisbane 2032, long term benefits will be realised across Australia, including in employment, skills, education, health and wellbeing outcomes, higher sporting participation rates, and in culture and community connection,” he said.
“We will be guided by a relentless focus on inclusion, diversity and accessibility and we’ll be driven by the Paralympic ideals of determination, equality, inspiration and courage.”
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